Marquette University will kick off 2024 with a new exhibition set to open on Thursday, Jan. 18 at the Haggerty Museum of Art highlighting the photography of Marquette alumni Bill Tennessen.
Tennessen was born in 1934 and was raised on Milwaukee’s North Side on North 39th Street before becoming a graduate of Marquette University’s College of Business Administration in 1956. In 1981, Tennessen started to contribute photos to the historic Wisconsin African American newspaper, Milwaukee Community Journal. A self-taught photographer, Tennessen captured many meaningful events in Milwaukee’s African American community such as the Ernest Lacy demonstrations, Juneteenth celebrations, and activities by both the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and Ko-Thi Dance Company, along with multiple sports events in Milwaukee.
The exhibition entitled “Dynamic Range” was curated by Haggety Museum Curator for Academic Engagement Lynne Shumow in collaboration with Marquette Professor and Director of the Center for Urban Research, Teaching and Outreach Dr. Robert Smith and Education and Research Coordinator at America’s Black Holocaust Museum Mia Phifer. Additional assistance was provided by Kate Rose, Caroline Bielski, Sebastien Brown, Sophia Furman, Logan Glembin, Niktalia Jules, and Adamali De La Cruz, as well as support provided by the Marquette University Women’s Council Endowment Fund.
There will be a reception event that is free and open to the public at the 1234 W Tory Hill St. location in Milwaukee, though spots must be reserved.
To reserve a spot for the opening reception, visit the event page here.
